Your Curriculum
Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education
Associate of Applied Science Degree Program
Catalog Year 2012-2013
MHCC Faculty Advisors:
Bryan Anaclerio: 503-491-7201 Room PE 145
Bryan.Anaclerio@mhcc.edu
The MHCC Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education (WLEE) program will foster the education of individuals to become outdoor leaders and teachers competent in providing a safe and effective outdoor experience in various activities and environments. The program curriculum provides opportunity for individual certification, national organization affiliations and partnerships and outdoor leadership practicum.
Graduates of the WLEE program will receive training for preparation for the following individual certifications: First Aid /CPR, Wilderness First Responder, Leave No Trace Master Educator, Swift Water Rescue Technician, Avalanche Level I and WEA Certified Outdoor Leader.
MHCC is one of two community colleges in the United States and the only collegiate-level academic program in the Northwest affiliated with the Wilderness Education Association (WEA). MHCC is a current Educational Institutional Partner with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. The Leave No Trace principles strive to educate all those who enjoy the outdoors about the nature of their recreational impacts as well as techniques to prevent and minimize such impacts.
The outdoor leadership practicum component incorporates leadership development, mastery of wilderness skills and backcountry expeditions under the guidance of qualified instructors.
The highlight of the program is the immersion term. Students will be in the field for 35 days and are immersed in many intentional opportunities to develop their technical outdoor skills in a variety of land- and water-based outdoor pursuits and most critically, to fine-tune their teaching and leadership abilities. Upon completion of the immersion term, students will be eligible for the WEA Outdoor Leader Certification, which is recognized across the country for enhancing the safety standards and promoting environmental ethics.
Specialized training and experience is an asset for any job and a necessity for many jobs in the outdoor adventure and recreation fields. Employers are consistently looking for applicants who have demonstrated critical thinking and decision making skills, leadership experience, team building and group management skills while also possessing standard industry certifications such as Leave No Trace (LNT), Challenge Course Facilitation, Swift Water Rescue and Wilderness First Responder (WFR). An increasing percentage of the arts, entertainment and recreation industry is being captured by outdoor recreation.
Graduates of this program may find opportunities in adventure leadership programs, adventure and wilderness therapy programs, adventure travel and tourism businesses, college and university outdoor programs, commercial outdoor recreation businesses, ecotourism agencies, outdoor related publications, public and private school outdoor programs and outdoor retail operations.
The ideal WLEE student is one who has a passion for the outdoors and adventure. Students may be recent high school graduates, returning veterans or professionals who have already attained degrees who are returning to school to follow their life-long interests.
Program Outcomes
At the completion of this program, students should be able to:
- Perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), first aid, Leave No Trace, Swift Water Rescue, Avalanche Awareness, and Wilderness First Responder skills in accordance with Industry Standards
- Plan, implement and evaluate high quality and safe adventurous learning experiences for others in a variety of activity areas
- Identify and adhere to professional practices in the outdoor industry
- Behave appropriately in both self directed and shared learning environments
- Demonstrate sufficient dexterity to perform work and function safely in various outdoor expeditions
- Perform a variety of administrative functions important to adventure programming
It is recommended that students begin this program during the fall term; however, students may be allowed to take some courses out of sequence with instructor approval.
| First Quarter (Fall) |
Cr |
| HPE285OL |
Wilderness Survival |
3 |
| PE185KY |
River Kayaking |
(1) |
| PE185RK |
Beginning Rock Climbing I |
1 |
| PE285OA |
Backpacking and Camp Management |
3 |
| PE285OY |
Wilderness orientation |
1 |
| PE285WTA |
Introduction to Water Sports |
1 |
| PE285WTB |
Intermediate Water Sports |
1 |
| HD100 |
College Success (optional) |
(1) |
| 10-12 |
| Second Quarter (Winter) |
| HPE295 |
Health and Fitness for Life |
3 |
| PE185OT |
Snowboard and Ski: Backcountry Safety Skills |
1 |
| PE185SB |
Beginning Snowboarding and Skiing (optional) |
(1) |
| PE285OF |
Winter Camping |
1 |
| PE285OG |
Backcountry Winter Mountain Travel |
1 |
| PE285ON |
Outdoor Leadership |
2 |
| PE285RKC |
Intermediate Rock Climbing - Expedition Preparation |
2 |
| WL145 |
Avalanche Training Level I |
1 |
| WL153 |
Wilderness First Responder Certification |
3 |
| 14-15 |
| Third Quarter (Spring) |
| PE282OL |
Professional Activities: Outdoor Leadership Field Skills |
2 |
| WL160 |
Adventure Trip Planning and Risk Management |
2 |
| WL165 |
Alpine Rescue |
1 |
| WL171 |
Expedition Field Experience: Backpacking |
2 |
| WL172 |
Expedition Field Experience: Rock Climbing |
2 |
| WL173 |
Expedition Field Experience: White Water Rafting |
2 |
| WL174 |
Mountaineering Field Skills |
2 |
| WL177 |
High Angle Rescue |
1 |
| WL182 |
Swift Water Rescue Technician |
1 |
| WL185 |
Leave No Trace: Master Educator Certification |
1 |
| 16 |
| Fourth Quarter (Summer) |
| MTH065 |
Beginning Algebra II (or higher)‡ |
3 |
| PE280 |
Cooperative Education Internship1 |
1-5 |
| WR121 |
English Composition |
4 |
| |
Human Relations requirement‡ |
3 |
| 12-16 |
| Fifth Quarter (Fall) |
| PE285OH |
Adventure Education |
2 |
| PE294OA |
Methods of Teaching Outdoor Activities |
3 |
| WL210 |
Challenge Course Facilitation |
2 |
| WL222 |
Outdoor Recreation Program Planning |
3 |
| WL225 |
Outings Program Leadership2 |
3 |
| 13 |
| Sixth Quarter (Winter) |
PE233
|
Place Mapping: Place-Based Learning Methods |
2 |
| WL225 |
Outings Program Leadership2 |
3 |
| WL240 |
Recreation Program implementaion |
3 |
| WL245 |
Avalanche Training – Level II |
(1) |
| BA250 |
Small Business Management |
4 |
| |
Physical Education elective |
1 |
| 13-14 |
| Seventh Quarter (Spring) |
| WL225 |
Outings Program Leadership 2 |
3 |
| PE280 |
Cooperative Education internship 1 |
1-5 |
| |
Related electives |
1-5 |
| 10-14 |
1Students must complete a minimum of six credits of cooperative education internship.
2 This course may be repeated three times for a total of nine credits.
‡ See page 20 of the printed catalog.
Related Electives
Students must complete two of these three courses
FT235 Outdoor Recreation - 3
HT245 Ecotourism and Adventure Travel - 3
PS217 Introduction to Public Land Management: The Politics of Recreation - 3